YEREVAN, MARCH 27, ARMENPRESS. Archbishop Aram Ateshyan, who despite calls refuses to step down as Patriarchal Vicar in the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul, released a statement on the disagreements regarding the patriarchal election.

According to Zhamanak daily, Ateshyan said in the statement he has no animosity towards the elected patriarchal locum tenens Archbishop Garegin Bekchian, however his expectations cannot be justified in the current conditions. In addition, the Patriarchate released the copy of the letter sent to the Governorate requesting a meeting.

“Our community is in a deadlock, and the overcoming of this crisis depends on our joint efforts”, Ateshyan says in the statement.

“Our goal isn’t self-justification at all, or scraping old wounds. We realize there are many expectations from us in the current atmosphere.

We don’t have any animosity towards Archbishop Garegin Bekchyan and we respect him. Our sincere desire is everyone to know that we don’t have a goal of causing new issues. We want this process to be completed as soon as possible, which has racked us. We refused the Hovakim 1461 fund, which has become subject of rumors. We leave secondary materials outside our agenda. In order to overcome the current deadlock we must again be in support and unity, we must display patience cold-bloodedly.

We must display endurance to complete this alarming stage, until the new conditions are formed, where the traditions and anterior of our Patriarchate, the rules and regulation of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church and at the same time our state’s expectations won’t be in contradiction.

At this moment our main goal is to prevent the possible contradiction between our Patriarchate and our state. Currently, when there is an atmosphere of general anticipation within our collective life, the responsibility of all of us is to avoid such steps which might deepen the existing problems”, Ateshyan said.

He said as of this moment, the justification of the expectations of Archbishop Garegin Bekchian addressed to them seems impossible.

“We convey our blessing to all of you”, Ateshyan concluded.

By the way, Bekchyan has already said that probably he will return to Istanbul on March 31.

Earlier he announced his intentions on settling in the Patriarchate upon return.

The full text of Ateshyan’s statement is available in Armenian.